Maze
by tsubakkyun
Summary: The scent of morning and newly-baked bread lingers in the air as Felicita, Nove and Liberta take their usual patrolling duties to themselves. Peace is kept in check, and peace wouldn't be a consistency after they get involved in the meddlesome matters of a thieving stranger.


It was a fine day in the island of Regalo as usual. On the streets were bustling crowds of merchant to buyer conversations, children playing their energy away and parents worrying for their safety, carriages being pulled by horses parading around the streets.

Even so, the peace on this island was disturbed everyday. Amidst the happy faces hid thieves and drug dealers and all kinds of criminals that were common to society. Lives were lost, as well as property. Homes and stalls were ransacked as they held people hostage. Peace really wasn't a natural thing if there were many people.

That's why the Arcana Famiglia exists.

An organization known as the protectors of Regalo brought together by the 'Papa', or, the head of the project. Instead of greedy politicians and gold-hungry governmental staff, the Arcana Famiglia works as a team in order to save the citizens from daily troubles.

Composed of children connected not through light but through the darkness, the organization has been in charge of the island's wellfare for years on end. Responsibilities are carried out both by them and the people as they continue to sccout the lands for any sign of maltreatment and disturbance.

Swords, cards and suits, among the members of the Famiglia, there are people who can be called 'special'. Those were the children who were capable of forming a contract with a Tarocco, a rare feat in this era. If one were to be linked with a card, they would gain access to extraordinary feats such as having things we call 'superpowers'.

The Papa holds the last card of the deck, Il Mondo, otherwise known as The World. Nine other people have formed contracts with nine other cards including his daughter Felicita and his wife, Sumire.

The work among the people inside the mansion are divided equally according to specialitity. There are those who run casinos and other places of entertainment and gambling while there are those who simply live with making patrols everyday. As we speak, on this fine day walks a Giaponese boy named Nova, along with his cousin, Felicita.

Trailing behind them are the other members of the Famiglia who have not been chosen as those to make a contract with a Tarocco. As they walk around the island and return the citizens' greetings as they receive them, a sudden disturbance of tranquility interrupt them.

A person in a dirty, hooded red coat which has almost turned brown and black collided with a buyer who was currently engaged in a conversation with one merchant who sold priceless gems and jewelry. The lady whose clothes were clean and made of the finest silks seems to have just stepped out of the carriage as the cheap glittery metal had caught her eye.

She was surprised, but she didn't neglect the person who was now on the ground. Seeing this, a few of the activity around the area stopped, including the patrol group.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you alright, dear stranger?" The lady with caramel brown hair looked down worriedly at the figure as it struggled to get on its feet. The person under the hood didn't respond, but when they stood up, it turned out that they were in a hurry, as they suddenly ran out and away from the crowd that gathered around the scene.

It wasn't a queer sight, but everyone just seemed to be too idle to waste any time. Seeing as no one was harmed, Felicita and her blue-haired cousin decided to go on forward when suddenly, a blonde figure jumped down from another roof.

His expression was panicked more than anything else as he cried out, "That guy was a thief! After him!" As soon as those words came out of his mouth, chattering came about and the lady whose purse had been robbed away from her started to pray towards whatever God she was worshipping.

The peace was disturbed once more, just like a few mornings wherein they had also managed to hold a few same people captive and turn them over to justice. The cousins nodded at each other and started to give chase just as the blonde man was doing.

"Liberta, how can you be so sure of your accusation?" Nova asked as he caught up with the taller male, unsheathing his Katana. Felicita also pulled her daggers out of her thigh straps and ran faster, sending continuous sounds of high heels hitting the ground bounce around the alley they seemingly saw the stranger enter.

"I was just hanging out on a roof when I noticed his strange demeanor. And the fact that he targeted a rich-looking person makes it all the more convincing."

"Let's just hope you're right about the stolen purse."

As they argued about whether the purse simply was misplaced in the carriage the lady had come from or if it had really been stolen, the redheaded female caught a glimpse of a cloaked figure running on top of the alley's low walls.

Deciding to take this one on her own and let the two boys handle the rest later on, she turned her heel in mid-air and pinpointed the location of the stranger before throwing her daggers from her right hand towards the area in rapid succession. She landed on her feet and hands and she immediately rose as they heard a grunt come from behind, then a thudding sound.

In the shadow of the morning, they managed to make a figure out of the darker parts of the shaded spot. Nova, and Liberta, who now had his own sword out of its scabbard, approached the fallen person with Felicita following behind. Expecting someone of the opposite gender, they found themselves frozen for a moment as their eyes landed upon a mass of long, messy silver hair which was scattered in all directions.

The thief, who turned out to be female, sat up and rubbed her forehead as it seems to have been the one to take much impact besides her arms and legs.

Nova stepped forward and pointed his sword at the stranger who didn't seem to care about anything else other than the blade and the throbbing in her bleeding head. It wasn't very severe, but the crimson liquid that oozed out of her skull wasn't to be treated lightly.

He spoke to her in the usual tone he would use when communicating with those who would dare to desecrate the island's peace.

"Confess now or face greater punishment; why did you snatch the innocent lady's purse?" He declaimed loudly and with such a stable voice that the stranger stopped rubbing her head as she put her arm down.

"Hey, don't you think you should be a little less stern--" Liberta tried to suggest but was cut off by his male companion.

"Just because she's a woman doesn't mean she can escape the claws of the eagle performing the delivery of justice."

"You mean the 'glare of the chickpea performing the delivery of justice'."

As they started to exchange words in a small argument, Felicita approached the thief, not letting her guard down.

"Why would you steal other people's belongings?" She inquired, and at the sound of her soft voice, the other two were driven into silence, waiting for the convicted's response. After a few moments, the silver-haired stranger opened her eyes, revealing a queer pair of deep purple irises.

Though she was not very beautiful, her features were quite stunning in their own way. If only she wasn't covered in dirt and grime, Felicita guessed, she would probably turn out to be quite the spectacular lady.

And only if she wouldn't keep stealing things. Her body wasn't as good as most, but she certainly wasn't scrawny either. Just a few bones sticking out here and there in unusual places.

She stood up groggily, revealing her to be standing as tall as 5 foot 11, very much taller than Felicita and was almost a head taller than Liberta. Due to her height, the have mistook her for a man when she was still inside her cloak and hood.

Her hair that almost reached the spot a few centimeters above her knees was covered in sand and soil, maybe even a few dried strips of foliage that managed to snag themselves into her silver strands as she ran away from the people whose belongings she stole, probably.

Trying once more since they seemed to have received no response from the stranger, Felicita composed herself and spoke again.

"Would you please mind answering my question? We're not here to hurt y--" but before she could finish her sentence, the taller girl was already behind her, holding a dagger against her throat. Upon seeing that it was one of the weapons she had tossed towards the pinpointed spot earlier, her panick was replaced by astonishment.

No one would be able to catch that considering how dark and unexpected it was when the blades came flying, though the redhead's stunt was quite impressive, itself. At this, the blue-haired Giaponese felt adrenaline rush as he moved to swiftly hit the silver-haired thief's nape in order to knock her out cold. It wouldn't be that long, but since she looked like she was tired, the sleep would probably last for about a few minutes.

A gust of wind blew over the three of them as Felicita shook herself out of the shock she experienced, taking her dagger from the stranger's hand and moving towards the wall her two other blades would probably have landed. She determined the spot by scanning the area for any signs of a cloak dangling in the wall.

There in the far left, she saw the same, large one previously worn by the thief before she fell on the hard ground, on the irregularly-paved stone path of the alley. Noticing that it was made of quite a fine material and lined with gold thread on the edges at that, she decided to take the garment with her and inquire her father about it.

Who knows? It might actually belong to some organization, too. But if it ever did, why would someone who looks as if she has lived all her life trying to stay away from human civilization have it?

Rather, if it was an organization, why would they let one of their people be roaming around filthy like this? Questions unanswered... there was plenty of that, so she simply decided to leave them out of her mind until they reach the mansion.

"Are you sure we're taking her there?" Liberta inquired, eyeing the stranger cautiously. "I mean... she might just suddenly burn the house with a snap of her fing--"

"That's not possible. Only those who are contracted with a Tarocco would be able to perform such an act." Nova retorted as he shifted the girl in his arms, being weighed down by her mass.

This caused the blonde to snort and hide his face as the shorter boy glared at him, knowing what was on his mind. Just as they were about to move out of the alley, Felicita approached them.

She handed them the cloak and suggested that they put it back onto the stranger in order to avoid unnecessary interrogation, though she defended the fact that she wasn't speaking ill of the island's inhabitants. She could never do that.

"I'm just saying that we have to take her to the mansion without any delays because she might just wake up without us noticing. Besides, that crack in her forehead needs to be wrapped up." She said, gesturing towards the blood trickling out of the silver-haired girl's head. Deciding on an action wasn't a very easy task when the two males were together, but because Felicita was there to regulate their fighting, all was said and done.

As Liberta, as insisted by the redhead, carried the stranger through the streets on his shoulder, glances shot towards the queer trio from right to left. The island's inhabitants weren't wondering why the Arcana Famiglia would hold such criminal captive since it was what they always did until the punishment was decided, but having them drag a cloaked person around was quite a spectacle.

The other people from the patrol group were handed the lady's purse as they found it on one of the cloaks's large pockets and they dealt with the matter infront of the people. They then continued the patrol as the three friends continued towards the gates. As soon as they reached the mansion which felt like eternity, actually, Felicita alerted the maids who were currently hanging clothes outside.

Seeing the stranger, the two of them started to panick, rushing into the house and calling for the other members of the Famiglia. When the men in black suits arrived, they had been told to tend to the criminal's wounds before they would be to interrogate her.

Safety is priority, no matter who the person under their care might be. Despite the near-death experience Felicita had encountered with the silver-haired girl, she simply couldn't bring herself to develop a sense of rejection towards her. It was as if something was telling her not to, but also to stay cautious around her at all times.

As the medics tended to the stranger's wounds and stored the cloak somewhere, Nova, Liberta and Felicita sat on one of the benches in the large, lush garden of the mansion's front yard. The green grass and perfectly-trimmed bushes extended all the way to the back and the left and right wings of the building, including the circle that held the Famiglia's arena and training grounds.

Though the compact dirt and hard stone pavings replaced the brightly-colored plants, both the interior and exterior of the mansion grounds were still very beautiful. As intricate as the statue of Felicita which stood in the yard, the stone walls that made the colosseum were adorned with curvy patterns which were attractive but threatening at the same time, in order to give the arena a fierce look.

"Do you think the medics are done with the thief? We left all the others hanging there outside, patrolling the island on their own." Liberta looked at the sky as he leaned back on the bench's backrest, craning his neck upwards. "I mean, we should question her soon and then we're done."

Just as he had said that, one of the people who treated the convicted came jogging towards the three of them, bandages still in his hand. He stopped short, catching his breath for some time before proceeding to report their progress to the trio. He wiped his forehead free of sweat with the back of his sleeve and started to speak.

"She woke up in the middle of the treatment and refused to be patched up." He gestured towards the white strips of cloth that dangled on his fingers. "She even attempted to knock us all out if not for the obvious disadvantage in numbers on her part. You might want to talk to her, your highness."

He bowed slightly, more so directed to Felicita than anyone else as he adressed her by her title. Being the daughter of Mondo, she was also known as the 'princess' of the house, though she didn't exactly like the idea of being seen as someone unequal and different from the rest of them.

When she joined the Famiglia, she wanted all to see her as how they would see a fellow family member, but it turns out she can't escape the hopeless rank she was given.

"I see." She stood up. "Will you lead us to where she currently resides, then?" Nova and Liberta also got off the bench, either eager to see the stranger's condition or simply going with the flow of the current conversation. The latter was probably not likely, though.

The man bowed once more and started slowly off towards the interior of the mansion. He led them up two flights of stairs and several turns, passing through a lot of doors, too. On the way, the blue-haired male seemed to notice something moving in the shadows behind one of the doors which were slightly ajar, though he dismissed it as some kind of visual trick.

He was never the type to be as childish as to believe that everything suspicious would turn out to actually be mysterious and full of wondrous wonders. Unlike some certain blonde he was walking with at the moment. Though sometimes, having such a stern demeanor would cause you to miss a few important details that can't even be looked through with your research.

Like the black feather which fell from whatever creature's wings had been flapping behind that door before it disappeared into the darkness.

"We have arrived." The medic stated, pushing the door open as the trio stepped into the room. He stood near the threshold and leaned on the doorframe while watching the stranger's every move as she seemed to have acted rabid a while back. Surprisingly, she was as tranquil as falling snow which made him wonder if he hadn't simply been hallucinating.

The redhead went near the bed where the silver-haired stranger was sitting on and started to interrogate her with a soft voice.

"Do you remember how you got here?"

No response. Even so, she decided to try again. "Alright. Do you remember anything before you woke up in this place?"

"You're speaking to a criminal, Fel. Not some sort of amnesiac who can't even--"

"Yes, I do. I remember snatching some rich lady's purse and then running away from a few people before the three of you started chasing after me, attempting to kill me by throwing some crazy sharp knives into my direction then knocking me out with the hilt of your Katana," she looked at Nova pointedly. "Then the next thing I know, I'm being showered by saliva from the mouths of people who call themselves doctors."

She slammed her fist on the bedside table, which made the same medic who led the trio to the room take his words back. Of course, this definitely was a good example of being calm. So much for tranquil as falling snow.

"And then now, you're asking me some stupid questions? What do you think of me, some little infant who got her head hit by a brick and now you're worried that I might have forgotten everything? Well, look at that. If I would have gained amnesia, there is no one else to blame but this short Giaponese over here." She pointed an accusing finger and the said person who now had a pissed look plastered on his face.

As much as Liberta wanted to laugh at the reality about Nova's height, he held his outburst back and let the anger surface into his mind instead. Before anyone else could continue talking, he took a step forward and said, "How dare you speak to the princess in such a lowly manner? You're the one who received help from her, you should be showing thankful actions instead of spouting rude remarks."

"And you, I don't think you're legally blonde but I'll call you Blondie. Blondie, stop talking like you're her father. And aren't you being rude towards an injured maiden as well?" She crossed her arms, causing murmurs to rise inside the red-carpeted room. At this, Felicita felt heat rushing up her face.

She totally did not expect someone to be this irritating.

In fact, it was the first time she has encountered such a talkative thief who had the guts to throw a snarky remark towards the people whom she might as well consider her saviors. It wasn't that she was mad because their help was discarded like it was just a bunch of rotten oranges, but because this girl wouldn't acknowledge the situation. Having her friends being called names and all made her quite annoyed. Suddenly, before she knew it, she heard herself silence everyone.

"That's enough!" Quiet surged through the room as she raised her voice, opening her eyes to see all of them staring at her. She cleared her throat out of embarrassment and referred the the convicted once more.

"A-anyways, I would like to hear appropriate answers from you from now on, miss." The stranger clicked her tongue which was enough to set Felicita's nerves on the edge once more, though she did a good job holding her temper back.

"First of all, what is your reason for stealing something which is supposed to stay with the owner?"

The silver-haired female looked at her with her purple irises and blinked fast for a few times before answering. It wasn't too polite, but oh well. "What, you seriously don't know why people steal? It's because they don't have anything, of course." She replied with a bored tone, yawning right after and causing Nova's blood to boil hotter.

"Woah, let's all calm down, shall we?" They heard a voice come from behind them. As they all turned their heads towards the source of sound, they saw a tanned bald man who stood as tall as somewhere beyond six feet. He had a red tattoo on the left side of his head and he had a smoking cigarette in one hand.

"I don't know if my old age simply betrays my memory, but you, miss, look oddly familiar." He smiled slightly, showing a set of perfect white teeth.

"Dante! I thought you were out on the sea." Liberta exclaimed, seemingly forgetting about the annoyance which managed to creep into his nerves just a little while ago.

He crushed the cigarette on an ashtray which lay on a near table before approaching the youth who had a surprised look on her face. "Wait, you know me?" Though her remark was meant to be mocking, it had some kind of a genuinely curious tone to it.

Almost as if she was a child who wanted answers to a question she had pondering on for quite a while. All of them seemed to have noticed this, including the medics who started to file out of the room after excusing themselves.

"Oh, yes, indeed. And if I remember correctly, you looked like you were of the same age." He kept quiet for a while. "Certainly you aren't actually 48 and simply kept your 17-year-old appearance by drinking some kind of alchemy-produced elixir, are you?"

"What do you mean, Dante?" Nova inquired, tilting his head slightly unconsciously.

The bald man stroked his chin and Felicita couldn't help but wonder why the silver-haired stranger suddenly went silent.

"Hm... I don't think there was an elixir which allowed people to do just that 31 years ago."

"So you mean you were only seven when you claim to have seen her?"

"Exactly."

"But you were only seven back then, Dante. Seven. You probably can't recall things that far back anymore."

"Well, they do say old people can remember most of the events that took place in their childhood, am I right?"

"But you're just 38." Liberta retorted.

He raised his hands slightly and chuckled. "Alright, I'm just kidding." He turned to the stranger once more, who really did seem to have mysteriously shut her mouth up. "Say, do you have a relative, perhaps your mother, that looked exactly like you?"

Hearing this, she seemed to have snapped out of her trance all of a sudden and answered the same way as how she did a few minutes ago.

"Oh, of course not. I don't even know any of them." She scoffed. "But seriously, you may just have mistook me for another silver-haired chick out there. I'm only 16, sir." She added the title sarcasrically, as if telling him he was supposed to be called senior.

"I agree. Give it up. You can't remember, alright?" Nova sighed, leaning on one of the bedposts that extended all the way to the roof holding the bed's curtains in place. They stood in silence for a while before the convicted started to talk once again.

"So? Aren't you all going to give me a little privacy and a change of clothes atleast? If you all are really set on interrogating me about some little crime I committed, be willing to do as much as allowing me to clean myself from all this soil and grime and unidentified disgusting substances. And some rest without means of being knocked out."

She stood up shakily, as if not used to standing on legs very much due to her exhaustion. "I'll be ready to answer all of your questions tomorrow and I promise I think I'll be a little less snappy." She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and eyed it with disgust.

"Well, a little."

As annoying as she was, and pretty rude if not very, Felicita just couldn't help but feel the need to keep this stranger with them whose name she hasn't even told.


End file.
